[Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

ReaphSharc · 2009-11-11 09:46:08

My boss give me a new shiny laptop (Toshiba Satellite L550) which comes with a Ati Radeon HD4650 card. I've been following the Ati guide from our fair Wiki, but OpenGL performance is horrible. With this I mean OpenGL screensavers and games. I've been reading up on the matter, but as far as I can tell OpenGL support is not yet great for the open source drivers (xf86-video-radeonhd).

But I'm no Xorg expert, so perhaps someone can point me at errors in my xorg.conf or supply ways to tweak it. My laptop has a maximum resolution of 1600x900. I've also got a monitor on my desk (Samsung 2033SW) which also supports 1600x900, although I've not gotten xinerama to work properly yet.

My config:

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "X.org Configured"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load  "i2c"
    Load  "bitmap"
    Load  "ddc"
    Load  "freetype"
    Load  "int10"
    Load  "type1"
    Load  "vbe"
    Load  "dri"
    Load  "extmod"
    Load  "glx"
    Load  "GLcore"
    Load  "dbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Keyboard0"
    Driver      "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Mouse0"
    Driver      "mouse"
    Option        "Protocol" "auto"
    Option        "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option        "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier   "Monitor0"
    VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
    ModelName    "Monitor Model"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    # According to http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=246746:
    Identifier  "Card0"
     Driver      "radeonhd"
    VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName   "M96 [Mobility Radeon HD 4650]"
    BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
    Option        "BusType" "PCI"
    # Optimized values
    Option        "AGPMode" "4"
    Option        "AGPFastWrite" "on"
    Option        "SWcursor" "off"
    Option        "EnablePageFlip" "on"
    Option        "AccelMethod" "EXA"
    Option        "DynamicClocks" "on"
    Option        "BIOSHotkeys" "on"
    # Left to driver default
    Option        "RenderAccel" "on"
    Option        "DMAForXv" "on"
    Option        "SubPixelOrder" "RGB"
    Option        "ColorTiling" "on"
    Option        "DDCMode" "off"
    #Not mentioned in the man-page
    Option        "AGPSize" "32" # default: 8
    Option        "EnableDepthMoves" "true"
    # Needed for AIGLX
    Option        "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
    Option        "DRI" "true"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "DefaultLayout"
    Option        "AIGLX" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device     "Card0"
    Monitor    "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
        Modes     "1600x900" "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
        Virtual     3200 900
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option        "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
    Group 0
    Mode 0666
EndSection

Xrandr gives me strange output by the way;

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1600 x 900, maximum 3200 x 900
PANEL connected 1600x900+0+0 423mm x 238mm
   1600x900       60.1*+
   1280x854Scaled   60.4  
   1280x720Scaled   60.4  
   1152x768Scaled   60.3  
   1024x768       60.0  
   1024x768Scaled   60.4  
   800x600        60.3     56.2  
   800x600Scaled   60.3  
   768x576Scaled   60.4  
   854x480Scaled   59.8  
   720x480Scaled   59.8  
   640x480        59.9  
   640x480Scaled   60.1  
   320x240Scaled   57.6  
   320x200Scaled   55.7  
VGA_1 connected 1024x768+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768       60.0* 
   800x600        60.3  
   640x480        59.9  
DVI-D_1 disconnected

Seems xrandr thinks the maximum resolution of the Samsung monitor (VGA_1) is 1024x786, but the specs specify (as I mentioned) 1600x900. How can I remedy that?

I'm using XFCE4 by the way...

Hope someone can point me towards better performance from my card

Last edited by ReaphSharc (2010-01-06 08:59:17)

flamelab · 2009-11-11 10:49:09

For now, your card has 3D acceleration only with Catalyst, unfortunately.

Nezmer · 2009-11-11 10:53:55

I didn't read your configs(they don't need to be that long anyway) .

3d is only provided by catalyst(1) or by opensource drivers under heavy development(2).

(1) http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57084
(2) http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=79509

ReaphSharc · 2009-11-11 11:16:39

Thanks for the replies.
Yeah, figured as much... I read about that, but I was hoping I was wrong or the info was outdated. Guess not. I don't feel like going through the hassle of downgrading my xorg-server right now, so I guess I'll have to wait for the open source drivers to start supporting 3D acceleration, or for the Catalyst drivers to work with the current version of Xorg.

Any thoughts on my xrandr problem though?

1311219 · 2009-11-11 11:22:55

I'm in a somewhat similar situation, switched to an hd4670 (yesterday). Just as Nezmer said, 3D accel is only in the proprietary drivers and experimental in radeon/radeonhd drivers.

But at least you've got a choice (the nvidious drivers are only proprietary as they don't even release any techdocs)!

So what you chose, is up to you (personally, I don't want any proprietary software on my otherwise only Free Software, or at least open source, system, so I'll probably give the experimental version of radeon a try soon).

One thing that might give 2d acceleration (if you don't already have that) and might solve the resolution problem, is to make sure no kms is attempted (look in Xorg.log), by creating file "/etc/modprobe.d/radeon.conf" and in it put: "options radeon modeset=0". Then no kms will be attempted next time the radeon driver is loaded. This made 2d feel much more snappy on my system anyway.

ReaphSharc · 2009-11-11 12:14:53

I'll give that a try, thanks!

1311219 · 2009-11-11 19:58:17

It's a long shoot, but if it doesn't help, maybe the experimental drivers ( http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=79509 ) might have better support.

But it might be some completely other problem, and I'm no expert on multiscreen setups. Maybe a strange question, but have you tried using the DVI port instead, maybe the vga output is limited?

If you decide to compile new drivers, remove the modprobe file (tried it today, and after removing that file, most 3D acceleration magically appeared, but it seems video output wants to freeze from time to time )...

ReaphSharc · 2009-11-13 10:36:23

Unless I completely misunderstood you, I can only say "There is no DVI port on this laptop ;-)"
That, and thanks for helping me work out this issue!

ReaphSharc · 2009-11-13 11:36:48

1311219 wrote:

One thing that might give 2d acceleration (if you don't already have that) and might solve the resolution problem, is to make sure no kms is attempted (look in Xorg.log), by creating file "/etc/modprobe.d/radeon.conf" and in it put: "options radeon modeset=0". Then no kms will be attempted next time the radeon driver is loaded. This made 2d feel much more snappy on my system anyway.

This results in this error showing up in my logs:

Nov 13 12:18:43 kernel: [drm:radeon_cp_indirect] *ERROR* sending pending buffer 11

That, and redrawing issues when scrolling with a scrollwheel
2D acceleration was not improved (although not even bad to begin with).

ReaphSharc · 2010-01-02 11:56:37

Hmmm, with the new open source ati drivers, 3D isn't slow anymore. It looks like a broken tv screen, with randomly colored pizels all over the place. Is there something I can troubleshoot to solve this (or is it unsolvable)?

Here's what I found in my logs:

Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] Initialized drm 1.1.0 20060810
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] radeon defaulting to userspace modesetting.
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: pci 0000:01:00.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: pci 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: pci 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] Initialized radeon 1.31.0 20080528 for 0000:01:00.0 on minor 0
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] Setting GART location based on new memory map
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] Loading RV730 CP Microcode
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: platform r600_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RV730_pfp.bin
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: platform r600_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/RV730_me.bin
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] Resetting GPU
Jan  2 10:43:17 archy kernel: [drm] writeback test succeeded in 1 usecs
Jan  2 11:11:52 archy kernel: [drm:r600_cp_dispatch_texture] *ERROR* Invalid destination offset
Jan  2 11:21:52 archy kernel: [drm:r600_cp_dispatch_texture] *ERROR* Invalid destination offset
Jan  2 11:31:52 archy kernel: [drm:r600_cp_dispatch_texture] *ERROR* Invalid destination offset
Jan  2 11:37:01 archy kernel: [drm:r600_cp_dispatch_texture] *ERROR* Invalid destination offset

ReaphSharc · 2010-01-06 08:46:00

I've been tinkering with xorg.conf, but the corruption of 3D acceleration (and perhaps 2d accelaration as well) remain.
Google's top hit when searching for the error ending up in my logs is this post
Does anyone else have corruption when using the current ati-dri drivers (version7.7-1)?

ReaphSharc · 2010-01-06 08:58:57

Switched to the package xf86-video-ati with the 'radeon' driver in xorg.conf. Good performance, OpenGL working.

Not the solution I was looking for, but at least I can play games and run opengl stuff on my laptop now (and no more corruption).

Arch Linux

#1 2009-11-11 09:46:08

[Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#2 2009-11-11 10:49:09

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#3 2009-11-11 10:53:55

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#4 2009-11-11 11:16:39

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#5 2009-11-11 11:22:55

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#6 2009-11-11 12:14:53

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#7 2009-11-11 19:58:17

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#8 2009-11-13 10:36:23

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#9 2009-11-13 11:36:48

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#10 2010-01-02 11:56:37

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#11 2010-01-06 08:46:00

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

#12 2010-01-06 08:58:57

Re: [Solved] Ati Radeon HD4650 giving poor OpenGL performance & corruption

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